Following the shocking scenes of white supremacists marching through the streets of Charlottesville this past summer, my mind went back to an image of a young woman facing down a ranting fascist with nothing but a serene smile. Saffiyah Khan had been taking part in a counter-demonstration against the neo-fascist English Defence League in Birmingham, England, in April this year when she saw a woman being surrounded by taunting EDL supporters.Saria Zafar was targeted because she was wearing a hijab and when the police failed to intervene, Saffiyah stepped up and got in the face of the loudest aggressor, holding him at bay with nothing more than a smile until police eventually intervened. A press photographer (Joe Giddens) captured the moment and the picture went viral. Local Labour MP Jess Phillips memorably tweeted the image with the caption, ‘Who looks like they have the power here?’
Listen below via Spotify. Bragg was recently a guest at KEXP, discussing his latest book, Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World. You can watch video from that Q&A on our Facebook page for a limited time. [ Stereogum ]
Killer Mike, rapper and half of the duo Run the Jewels, took a stand against Mike Pence's announcement that he had left the Colts vs 49ers game because the players peacefully protested by kneeling during the national anthem. "I wonder how he feels about the constitution. The document that contains …
Since 2012, Freakout Records has taken over venues in the Ballard neighborhood for multiple nights of blaring, sweaty, and all around thrilling local music with their namesake Freakout! festival. Now entering its fifth iteration on November 17th and 18th, Freakout! is stepping up with one of their …
